FYROM ends conscription

[Slayer]

(Tuesday, 11 April 2006: 10.45 CET) – Macedonian Defense Minister Joban Manasievski has announced that his country will end military conscription and that the army would be fully professionalized by the beginning of next year, DTT-NET.COM reported.

The Monday announcement will make Macedonia the first country in the western Balkans to end military conscription.

According to the Brussels-based news agency, new soldiers would be recruited to the Macedonian army on a voluntary basis for an initial three-month training period, after which they would then join the regular professional force.

Macedonia’s permanent representative to NATO, Nano Ruzin, told DTT.NET.COM that the country had “advanced well with reforms comparing to other countries of the western Balkan region”.

Officials said the new professional army would have around 7,000 regular soldiers and 2,500 reserve troops, with a budget of around €100,000, or 2.3 to 2.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Minority ethnic Albanians will also represent some 20 per cent of the troops, DTT-NET.COM quoted officials as saying.

Macedonia is seeking full NATO membership and one of the conditions set by the alliance is a professional army.

Macedonia, Albania, and Croatia are hoping to receive an invitation for NATO membership when the alliance holds its 2008 summit.

http://www.southeasteurope.org/subpa...=16883&head=hl

So they will have 7000 regular and 2500 reserves with 20% of them being Albanian. 7500 Slav soldiers protecting their country of 2,000,000 people.
10-15 years is all I give FYROM!

[Makedonia25]

What??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!You mean they are pulling ALL 45 people out of Iraq??

[Tsontos]

RIP.

What was their total force and reserves before the decision?

[Nikos]

Originally Posted by Makedonia25

What??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!You mean they are pulling ALL 45 people out of Iraq??

There are 1000-1500 of them serving as contractors on Iraq.

1500 out of a country with 2 million population !!!!

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/663090

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4731160.stm

[Makedonia25]

Originally Posted by Nikos

There are 1000-1500 of them serving as contractors on Iraq.

1500 out of a country with 2 million population !!!!

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/663090

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4731160.stm

And what about this one? "Macedonia has some 32 soldiers stationed in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition."

[Slayer]

Originally Posted by BigTakis

RIP.

What was their total force and reserves before the decision?

Unfortunately I could not find the exact numbers from the CIA fact sheet, but this is a summary to their military power:

Military Macedonia Top of Page
Military branches:
Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing); Special Force Command (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of conscript duty is six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 498,259 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 411,156 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 16,686 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$200 million (FY01/02 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
6% (FY01/02 est.)

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/mk.html

Now compare this with Hellas

Military Greece Top of Page
Military branches:
Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Ellinikos Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, Air Force; 15 months for Navy; women are eligible for military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,459,988 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,018,557 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 58,399 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$5.89 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.3% (2003)


http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/gr.html